Parliament will debate whether to legalise cannabis for medical use after a Green Party member’s bill was pulled from the ballot today.

The legislation would make it legal for people suffering from a terminal illness or debilitating condition to use cannabis or cannabis products with the support of a GP.Green MP Julie-Anne Genter – who has sponsored the bill – said medicinal marijuana should be legal – accessible and affordable.

The bill would allow doctors to permit qualifying patients to grow and possess cannabis – as well as an immediate relative or other nominee.

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Women ruled out of order by Speaker for demanding prime minister John Key apologise for accusing opposition of ‘backing the rapists’.

An estimated three-quarters of Labour MPs walked out of parliament directly after Key’s comments on Tuesday – along with several Green members.

Key told the house and New Zealand media that he stood by his comments.

On Wednesday Green party co-leader Metiria Turei told the Speaker that as a survivor of sexual violence she was deeply offended by Key’s remarks: ‘As the victim of a sexual assault I take personal offence at the prime minister’s comments and ask that you require him to withdraw and apologise’.

Her comments were echoed by Green MP Catherine Delahunty – who was told by the Speaker to stop and sit back down.

When other female MPS – including Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta – Clare Curran and Megan Woods – along with Green MP Marama Davidson repeated the call for Key to apologise with reference to their own assaults – Carter ordered them to stop, saying they were ‘flouting the rules’ by claiming to make points of order.

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(ed:..i will post a commentary @ the close of proceedings..scroll down..)

Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Questions to Ministers

JOANNE HAYES to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received about the economy’s performance in the lead-up to the Budget last month?

JAMES SHAW to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?

ANDREW LITTLE to the Prime Minister: Did he approve of Minister McCully’s dealings with the Saudi Arabian businessman Hamood Al Ali Al Khalaf?

Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: How will social bonds help deliver better health outcomes?

JAN LOGIE to the Minister of Health: Can he guarantee no NGO that embarks on a social bond contract, in order to assist people with the most complex mental health needs into work, will go under as a result of not meeting agreed targets; if not, why not?

Hon ANNETTE KING to the Minister of Health: What advice, if any, did he receive on the “Better Public Services Seed Funding: Social Bonds Pilots”?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement in the House last week that because New Zealand Superannuation costs are currently less than 5 percent of GDP, and are forecast to rise to 8 percent of GDP by 2060, this represents a responsible path for overall Government spending?

ALFRED NGARO to the Minister for Building and Housing: What response has he received from Auckland Council and housing companies to the Auckland Crown land programme launched on Friday?

GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement in Budget 2014 “the share sale proceeds saw $4.7 billion go to the Future Investment Fund and we said we would spend $1 billion of that on schools, and a further $1 billion on health”; if so, as at Budget 2015 how much has been allocated to health and education from the Future Investment Fund?

JONATHAN YOUNG to the Minister of Transport: How is the Government supporting the delivery of its Transport priorities?

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements with regard to Northland?

CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by her statement that “the Government is fully funding the delivery of the school curriculum”

things kick off with english taking a series of patsy-questions – so he can belt out a few choruses of ‘you don’t know how lucky you are!’

shaw then holds key to account – calling for a cross-party agreement on climate change..

..key claims that ‘we can’t afford it’..(all in all you’d hafta give it to shaw – a good first showing – and a taste for key of what is to come..)

(i often read the two backbenchers who sit behind key – and the grey-haired one – by the end of the shaw/key encounter – looked like he had just sucked a very large – very sour lemon..heh..!..he is usually such a braying-clown..

..the other one next to him is part of the far-right in national – and likely sits there dreaming of sliding shivs into keys’ back – tantlisingly within reach – just in front of him..)

little then has a go at key over the dodgy saudi arabia sheep-deal cooked up by mccully..

little does ok..

the next few questions are taken up with/by wrangling over nationals plans to privatise social-services

(ed:..i have to report that carmel sepuloni has a death-stare to match/rival that of the master – kennedy graham from the greens..)

seymour then does some rightwing-fretting about the further cost of superannuation.

.key repays him with a veiled threat : that he ‘looks forward’ to working with seymour – ‘as long as he is mp for epsom’..(ed:..ouch..!..eh..?..)

..smith claims there are 12,000 houses being built in auckland – peters notes there are 35,000 immigrants into auckland each/every year…

..robertson has a go – not a lot happens..

peters weighs in on the state of the worst school in nz – in kaikohe..

..peters cites the large wedge of money given to a charter school just down the road from this dump of a school..

..would have paid for 45 new classrooms..

..and we finish with hipkins vs. parata – an encounter that rarely has a clear outcome..